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I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I have a love/hate relationship with people. (Hate is such a strong word. More like suspicious? No. Curious? Yes, sometimes. (Fear? Yes, that's probably it.) And the internet sort of terrifies me. Not in a tinfoil hat sort of way, but more in the fact that once it's out there, it can't NOT be out there.

All that is there is subject to every aspect of every human that comes in contact with it. And once you put it out there, every human that comes in contact with it can tell you how they feel about it. Or don't feel as it were. Which is a nightmare for an artist who seeks to elicit some kind of emotion with their art.

I think, though I don't know, that most artists have that underlying fear that some day the world is going to find out that they are somehow a fake. Even if you've been passionate about it all your life, even if you've dedicated every moment to growing that spark that lives in your soul...one day someone who claims (or even doesn't claim, it doesn't matter much these days) to be 'in the know' will say that your work is utter nonsense, and why would you continue wasting peoples time showing it to them?

I've wandered too far and I've lost my point. I guess I'm just saying that this is a big step for me. I like to keep people at a distance, and I'd rather be sitting out in a meadow somewhere, painting, photographing and talking to the butterflies. There is a good chance many of my brethren would as well. So please be kind. Maybe be kind generally, but for those who bare their souls, and offer them to you in the form of some artistic endeavor, think of them as standing there, fully trusting and hoping you won't giggle and roll your eyes.

Today's piece. It's a tiny little oil. In this instance I was trying to learn how to add light to learn how to make things luminous. It was my first real attempt at a painting. I'm showing you this because I've learned a lot since then and it's always good for me to remember how humbling it was to begin. It's Windsor Newton Oils on board. 6.5 x 4.5

2018 is going to be a year of challenges for me. For the first time, this year I dared myself to become what I know I could become. I demanded that I quit playing games and start taking this seriously, or just let it go. I took the year and learned bits of many things...lettering, watercolor, gouache, pastels, oils as well as charcoal and pen and ink drawing. I never stopped trying to learn more. It was really a great thing! This year I plan to document moving further, learning and raising my expectations on what I consider acceptable. It will all be here.

Wishing you all a safe and happy new year celebration. I'll see you on the other side. And if you're challenging yourself, I'll be one of your number one cheerleaders! Just let me know what's happening.

I just realized, 3 posts and I'm not even to the new year yet! I'm kind of proud of myself!